An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-05-12
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Robbie Gallagher (FF), Labour Panel

Today, as other Members have stated, members of the National Ambulance Service find themselves on the picket line. I visited a number of them this morning in County Monaghan before I travelled to Leinster House. The one thing they all had in common was that none of them wanted to be there. As much as that is for sure. They wanted to do what they do very well; look after the communities in which they serve.
Their big gripe, as they explained to me this morning, is that their service has changed completely from what was once upon a time a patient transfer service to now giving very sophisticated medical attention to patients on-site. That professionalism, which has been recognised across the National Ambulance Service, has resulted in greater patient outcomes, and that is for sure. As part of the journey they were on, an independent report was carried out to see exactly what pay increases were due to the members of the service because of the changes in professionalism they had adopted. That report, which was released back in 2022, recommended that pay increases, among other things, be given to the NAS.
Apparently, that has never happened. I understand agreement was reached by union heads but it was balloted to the members and that was rejected. Apparently, it has been in abeyance since. When members tried to bring the matter up again to get what they feel they are entitled to, there were preconditions being entered into that they feel are unfair. All of these disputes ultimately are resolved and I call on the HSE to re-engage with the National Ambulance Service with a view to finding a resolution to this problem. The next day of action is not until 19 May so there is a window. I ask all sides to re-engage to find a solution to this outstanding issue.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-05-12/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:55+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-12